How Dangerous Is Retinal Detachment?
Retinal detachment is a serious eye emergency that should be addressed immediately. One potential danger of prolonged detachment of the retina is permanent vision loss.
If you are experiencing the symptoms of retinal detachment, Dr. Walter Choate can safely reattach the lining of the back of your eye. Dr. Choate, a member of the American Academy of Optometry, has served the Nashville, TN, Goodlettsville, TN, and Hendersonville, TN, communities since 1979.
What Are the Potential Dangers of Retinal Detachment?
The retina is a thin layer of tissue that is located near the optic nerve. The retina is critical to vision because it receives focused light and converts it into neural signals that are perceived and interpreted by the brain.
Detachment leaves this important part of the eye devoid of oxygen and nourishment because the retina becomes isolated from important blood vessels. If a significant amount of tissue is damaged or dies due to detachment, irreversible blindness can result.
The longer your retinal detachment goes unaddressed, the greater your risk of suffering vision loss or becoming permanently blind in the affected eye. This is why a detached retina is an eye emergency. Fortunately, prompt intervention and treatment are highly effective.
Around nine out of 10 patients can enjoy fully restored vision and eye health following treatment for this eye emergency, according to the National Eye Institute.
How Do I Know if I Have a Detached Retina?
A detached retina does not always cause pain or discomfort. The eye emergency will often cause vision anomalies that can include:
- The appearance of floaters (tiny specks) in the field of vision
- Obscured vision or the sense of a curtain-like shadow over the visual field
- Blurred vision
- Perception of flashes of light on either eye
Any changes to your vision should be taken seriously. Patients should also know if they are at higher risk for retinal detachment. Known risk factors include:
- Advanced age
- Previous retinal detachment or family history of the eye emergency
- Past eye injury or eye surgery
- Extreme myopia
- Certain eye diseases or disorders
How Do I Prevent Vision Loss?
The best way to prevent blindness is to contact our Nashville eye center immediately if you are experiencing symptoms of retinal detachment. A member of our eye care team will set up an immediate time for you to visit. Avoid strenuous physical activity until you can have someone drive you to our office.
Dr. Choate will work quickly to diagnose the cause of your vision problems before surgically treating your torn retina. During your surgery, Dr. Choate will seal the tear in your retina. A gas bubble is then created inside the body of the eye to move the retina back into place.
Recovery time differs from patient to patient and depending on which specific procedure is performed. Average recovery times range from two to four weeks.
Don’t Wait - Schedule Your Appointment Today
Many health insurance plans will cover part or all of this medically necessary surgery. If you are experiencing symptoms of retinal detachment, please contact our eye center by calling (615) 805-0712.
